Tubular radiant gas burner



March 24, 1953 B. E. BAILEY TUBULAR RADIANT GAS BURNER Filed April 27, 1948 2 SHEETSSH.EE IT l QNN RN mm Ill/IA QQ NN MN March 24, 1953 B. E. BAILEY 2,632,503

TUBULAR RADIANT GAS BURNER Filed April 27, 1948 2 HEETS- E 2 Fla- 3 J azW m w (27% W Patented Mar. 2 4, 1953 TUBULAR RADIANT GAS BURNER Bradford E. Bailey, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 27, 1948, Serial No. 23,493

6 Claims.

The present invention relates toan improvement in furnace burner structures, in which substantially tubular surface combustion burners are assembledfrom a, plurality of annular burner elements.

It is the main object of the invention to provide a burner structure of substantially tubular form which may be assembled from a plurality of comparatively small and simple elements to produce a burner unit of any desired or required dimensions and capacity.

The invention and its objects may be more fully understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section longitudinally through a burner element and portions of a furnace.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the burner element along the line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an alternate form of burner unit shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. i is a longitudinal section through a portion of a burner element, showing another form of burner unit, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the burner element of Fig. 4, along the line V-.V thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, theburner elements of this invention are composed of a fuel supply conduit 4, of which that portion disposed within the furnace I is perforated to form. passageways 4a, a plurality of annular burner units I2 fitted over the conduit 4 to provide a substantially continuous circular combustion-surface, and a pipe member 5, disposed concentrically of the conduit 4, for circulation of a coolant material. The conduit 4 is sealed at one end in fluid and gas tight relationship to the pipe 5, and at the other end communicates with a fuel supply manifold 9.

As illustrated by Fig. 1, the annular burner units I2 have aform which is substantially that of a hollow frustum of a cone, with a cylindrica1 collar portion l2a at the apex end, and at the other end, a shouldered enlargement I2b= of the central passage through the unit. The central passage through the element I2 is of greater diameter than that of the conduit 4, and radial lug type spacer elements I20 are provided to maintain substantially uniform annular spacing of the units I2 from conduit 4, and to form an annular passageway 4b therebetween. The respective burner units I2 may be maintained in spaced re- 'lation, one from another, by means of angular and the adjoining side wall portion, against which abut the cylindrical collar portion I2a of the next adjoining unit. By this means, a substantially annular jet passageway is provided which communicates with the passageway between the units and the conduit 4, and which opens toward the conical surface of the adjoining element. Where desired, the shouldered portion I21) and the adjoining side wall portion may be serrated, as

shown by Fig. 3 to provide a plurality of triangular jet passages between the collar portion I2a of one element and the shouldered portion I21) of an adjoining element.

The assembled burner units may be held in their designed relationship in any suitable manner. As illustrated in Fig. 1, a metallic sleeve member 13 is secured in fixed, fluid-tight relation to one end of the conduit 4. This sleeve I3 extends through the furnace wall, terminating immediately beyond the wall lining. The inner end of the sleeve is formed to provide a closely fitted joint with the collar portion I20. of the first burner element. The joint may be of any suitable type, but preferably should provide a substantial seal against leakage of fuel therethrough. The collar may be of any heat resistant metal or alloy.

At the other end of the unit, a, burner unit I4 is provided which differs from the elements I2, of which the unit is principally formed, in that the shouldered portion I2b of the regular unit is omitted, the unit I4 being formed with a base collar portion I4b to make up a substantially fluid-tight joint with a sleeveIS encircling the conduit 4 and extending outwardly through the furnace wall. Spacer lugs I5a support the tube 4 for longitudinal movement of expansion or contraction through the sleeve I5. The sleeve itself may be supported for movement under impulse of the burner elements as by rollers I6. The outer end of-the sleeve I5 is provided with an annular flange I5 b extending inwardly to slidably engage the conduit 4. In spaced relation to the outer end of sleeve I5, a packing gland assembly, in cludin a, gland member I! and packing ring I8, is held in rigid, fluid-tight relation to the conduit 4 by pressure of the ring I8 against the packing I9. Such pressure is applied to the ring it by means of bolts 20. Between the gland I1 and the sleeve flange I51) a coil spring member 25 is held under compression to force the sleeve members I3 and I5 and burner units I2 and I4 into pressure contact, and to maintain such contact in spite of differential expansion or contraction of the related parts. A cylindrical bellows element 22 secured at each end to the gland I1 and sleeve 15 respectively provides a flexible, fluid-tight seal between the gland and sleeve. A similar bellows member 23 secured in fluid-tight relation to the conduit 4 provides a seal between this element which is extensible and contractable with diiferential movement of the respectively connected parts.

Where by reason of exceptional length, the burner units require supplementary support, a hanger assembly may be provided as shown in Fig. 1. As illustrated, a sleeve 2 of a heat resistant metal or alloy is inserted in the sequence of burner elements between an element M on one side and an element i2 on the other. The sleeve 24 is provided with an upstanding ear or lug 24a adapted to be engaged by the lower hooked end of hanger rod 25, the upper hooked end of which is held by a bar support member 26. I

In the form illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5, the burner units 27 have a body portion of substantially triangular longitudinal section, with a cylindrical collar portion Zla at each end, and a concentric passageway through the unit. The units 2? are disposed concentrically over the fuel mixture conduit 1% in the same fashion as units I2 and i l being maintained in radially spaced relation thereto by means of the internal radial lugs or spacer elements 211). in the assembled element, the units are held in spaced relation to one another in one of at least two ways. As shown, a deflector ring element 23 of substantially triangular longitudinal section is provided over adjoining collar portions 2la. This element 28 is formed with a plurality of T-shaped inner projections of which the horizontal portion 29a extends longitudinally of the element inner wall, and the vertical portion 2% extends radially inward and is of lesser width than the length of the element 28. The portions 29b thus serve to space the collar portions of the units 2?, and the portions 29a serve to space the ring 28 from the collar portions and provide fuel jet passageways discharging toward the sloped surface of the triangular body portions of the units 2'5.

If desired, the units may be spaced by providing a castellated collar at one end of each unit in which the space between castellations will permit egress of the fuel mixture from the annular space between the fuel conduit s and the units. In such event, it is preferred that the deflector ring be provided with a serrated inner wall, much the same as the wall portion adjoining shoulder lZb of the unit 52 illustrated by Fig. 3, thereby providing a plurality of triangular shaped jet passages communicating with the space between the collars 27a. In the assembly utilizing the structural form of elements 21, the sleeves I3 and i and support hanger sleeves 26 may be employed without change merely by forming the edge portions of the collar portions 21a to fit the conformation of the several sleeve members which are to be engaged thereby.

Preferably, the units forming the combustion surface of the burner elements are formed of cast ceramic refractory materials such as compounds of silica, magnesite, dolomite, forsterite, chrome, mullite, alumina, silicon, carbide et cetera. Such refractory materials may be with or without the addition of super refractories including spinels, beryllium, thorium and zirconium compounds.

In operation, a fuel mixture of primary a1r and a gaseous or liquid fuel is supplied through 4 manifold 9 and conduit 4. This mixture is discharged through passageways 4a, into the annular space between the conduit and the assembled unit, flowing therethrough to be discharged by way of the fuel jets opening from the space between units. By suitable restriction of flow through such passageways and spaces the velocity is maintained high enough to substantially overcome any tendency for the burning fuel to flash back into the conduit 4 or other fuel mixture passages. The protection of high velocity flow is supplemented by continuously flowing a coolant material such as water through the pipes 5. Where desired, the pipes 5 may be utilized as a heat exchange means to partially preheat the fluid being heated in the furnace.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, various changes and modifications are possible, and it is not intended that the invention be limited by any such specific illustrations, but only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tubular burner assembly comprising an elongated fuel mixture supply conduit, 21. cylindrical sleeve element secured in fixed, fluid-tight relation adjacent one end of said conduit in radially spaced, coaxial relation thereto, a second cylindrical sleeve element slidably mounted on said conduit in coaxial, radially spaced relation thereto for limited reciprocal movement thereon, and in spaced relation to said fixed sleeve element longitudinally of the conduit, a plurality of annular burner units freely and coaxially supported on said conduit, between the sleeve elements, in radially spaced relation to said conduit to form an intermediate, substantially continuous, co-extensive, annular passageway between said conduit and burner units, and spaced relation to each other longitudinally of the conduit to form discharge passageways, communicating at one end with said annular passageway and opening outwardly between adj acent units, means for diverting flow from each of said discharge passageways toward the outer surface of an adjoining burner unit, a plurality of passageways opening through the conduit wall circumferentially and longitudinally thereof between said sleeve elements, communicating between said conduit and the annular passageway, a pipe, for circulating a heat exchange fluid, extended through said conduit in substantially concentric, radially spaced relation thereto, secured to said conduit at one end in fixed, fluid-tight relation, and at the other end disposed for limited reciprocal movement longitudinally with reference to said conduit, a fluid-tight seal between the conduit and pipe at said other end, a fluidtight seal between said conduit and second sleeve element, means for resiliently maintaining said burner units as a continuous assembly on said conduit between said sleeve elements, and means for introducing a fluid fuel mixture into said conduit.

2. A tubular burner assembly according to claim 1, in which said means for resiliently maintaining said burner units as a continuous assembly on said conduit between sleeve elements, comprises an annular gland-type seal member secured in fixed relation to said conduit beyond said second sleeve element, and a helical spring member encircling said conduit, disposed under compression between said seal mem-- her and sleeve element.

3. A tubular burner assembly according to claim 1, in which each burner unit is a substantially frusto-conical member having an apex end and a base end, and a concentric passageway therethrough, an enlarged radially shouldered portion in said passageway at the base end, a cylindrical collar portion at the apex end adapted for insertion into the enlarged passageway portion of the next adjoining unit, a circumferential combustion surface on said unit flared outwardly from said collar toward the base end of the unit, said collar portion disposed in spaced relation to the wall and shouldered portion of said concentric passageway to form said discharge passageways, said discharge passageways being disposed so as to discharge against an outwardly flared combustion surface.

passageways, comprising an annular deflector ring member encircling said collar portions of adjoining units and supported thereon in radially spaced relation thereto.

5. A burner unit assembly according to claim 4 in which said deflector ring comprises an annular member of substantially triangular longitudinal section, said section having a base width substantially equal to that of two spaced unit collar portions, and a plurality of T-shaped spacer elements extending radially inward from the inner surface of said member, each element disposed with the horizontal portion of the T parallel with the axis of the member and the vertical portion perpendicular thereto, said latter portion extending inward to a depth equivalent to the thickness of the collar portions of said adjoining burner units.

6. A burner unit assembly according to claim 4, in which one collar portion of each unit is castellated to space said portions in the assembly and the deflector ring is an annular member of substantially triangular longitudinal section spaced from said collar portions by means of serrations on its inner wall portion.

BRADFORD E. BAILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 592,915 Meres Nov. 2, 1897 727,091 Clapp May 5, 1903 790,265 Sassman May 16, 1905 2,105,533 Hess Jan. 18, 1938 2,375,412 Groetchen May 8, 1945 2,408,282 Wolf Sept. 24, 1946 2,419,336 Cress Apr. 22, 1947 2,504,451 Richeson Apr. 18, 1950 

